Bad Romance
by nottonyharrison
Summary: Vignette. Post season 2. Max has done something dumb, Alec has to fix it. Max/Alec, Max/Logan implied .


**Bad Romance**

**Disclaimer: **Dark Angel is the property of FOX and not myself, blahdy blah. Please don't sue me, I work in retail and therefore have no money.

**IMPORTANT NOTE:** I would just like to take a moment to say if you're going to review only to complain about the Max/Logan factor, don't bother. It clearly says in the summary that there is M/L implied and if that thought sickens you, then don't read the damn story!

**A/N:** I know, it's been ages since I updated KWAF, but Robert Downey Jr the plot bunny muse has been out in full force. Unfortunately Flo, the novel muse is still drunk from the silly season, but seeing as Bob is teetotal (or so we are lead to believe) he has come out with this.......Okay, so perhaps it's stupid to believe a former drug addict when they say they're clean.

* * *

"Do you want some dinner? There's left over chili in the fridge."

"I'm not here to eat, Max."

She looked over the back of the couch and glared. He stood against the door, hands folded over his chest, body leaning warily away from her.

"Well you'd better not be here to say I told you so."

He sighed and moved away from the door towards the kitchen. Reaching into the refrigerator he removed a container and put it in the microwave.

"I thought you said you weren't hungry."

"When was the last time you ate?" He raised an eyebrow and she shrugged, rolling her eyes.

"Come to think of it, how old is that chili?" His raised eyebrow turned into a furrowed one and she laughed.

"Don't worry, Josh brought it 'round yesterday." She reached towards his now outstretched hand and took the beer he offered. She watched him carefully as he cracked the top on his own and sat opposite her. There was a long pause as they both took a drink. "So are we gonna do this or not?"

"I'm just gonna go check on your dinner." He placed his beer sharply on the table and moved back to the kitchen. Max took a long drink from her own.

"Get me another while you're in there?" She rolled the empty bottle around, watching the low light from the lamp play with the dregs in the bottom. A feather that was stuck to her tank top was dropped in the bottle and she shook it around until it was no longer fluffy. She could hear him shuffling around in the small kitchen gathering bowls and cutlery and a few moments later a steaming serving was handed to her in the same way as the beer a few minutes earlier.

An opened bottle and a bag of corn chips were dropped on the coffee table and she reached for the beer first. "Again, I thought you said you weren't hungry."

"I said I wasn't _here to eat_. There wasn't enough left for a full meal so there was no point leaving it in the fridge." She may have been scowling on the outside, but she was pleasantly surprised he remembered her pet hate of the one cookie left in the tin. Her expression softened and she reached for the corn chips.

They ate in silence, Alec's eyes watching the news and hers watching him. When he had finished eating he collected their bowls and went to put them in the sink. She waved her empty bottle over the top of the couch.

"Same again please."

"I'm gonna make us some coffee." She sighed. He had seen the empties in the cupboard. She left the warmth of the couch and the checkered blanket she had snuggled herself under. Time for the bathroom.

She took her time, splashing some water on her face and untying her hair from it's messy ponytail. Mascara was even applied. She still looked like crap.

"Max, you alright in there?" She didn't answer. "Coffees ready when you are." She heard him sigh and his soft footsteps moved away from the bathroom door. She looked in the mirror one last time and applied some chocolate flavored lipgloss.

* * *

He looked up sharply as she loudly stepped back into the living room. He hated to admit it, but she really did look terrible, hair more lank than usual and sunken eyes made her a shadow of the undeniably attractive Manticore creation she was.

"You look like shit." He gave her a crooked smile and she snorted.

"Thanks for the boost to my ego, I needed it. Perhaps next time you can tell me I've started growing a mustache." She took the coffee he handed her and sat on the arm of his chair, mussing his hair with her free hand. She blew on the coffee and took a sip, and Alec couldn't help but worry he was about to end up with a steaming hot waterfall of the stuff pouring into his lap. She was acting very odd indeed.

He heard the clunk of ceramic against wood and then something _was_ in his lap, but it wasn't hot coffee.

"Max, what the hell are y-" Oh god, she was kissing him.

And boy, was she _kissing_ him. Hard, forceful and just how he liked it. But this was so, so wrong and he knew it but god, he really didn't want it to stop. Chocolate, she tasted like _chocolate_.

"Alec, what the hell?" She glared at him from the floor, head precariously close to the coffee table and the smiley face mug she had placed on it a few moments earlier.

"I'm not going there with you, Max. Not until we talk about what happened the other day." He stood and went back to the kitchen to refill his own cup. His had some weird skull-monkey thing on it. She was standing slowly, looking darkly at him from between the lank strands of hair covering her eyes.

"I thought it was pretty obvious what happened. Why do we have to talk about it when we were both there? Superfluous much?"

"You know exactly what I mean. Don't try and pretend that you _meant_ what you said. Your genetics can make you do some crazy things. Trust me, been there already." He was facing away from her, sipping slowly at his drink.

"How's Logan?" It came out as a mumble and Alec turned to look at her. She was staring at the floor, foot rubbing at an apparently fascinating black mark on the already filthy tiles.

"He's fine. Pissed and depressed but fine. You have to go round there and fix things up with him."

"I don't want to see him. You can't argue with science." She was moving towards him again and suddenly he was backed up against the counter with nowhere to go.

"What, the light's suddenly gone on has it? Gonna listen to good ol' Manticore and screw the breeding partner? I don't think so." He crossed his arms over his chest and eyed her warily. "You're drunk, Max. You wouldn't know your ass from your elbow."

"We don't get drunk. Alec."

He rolled his eyes and reached behind the garbage can, pulling an old Glenfiddich bottle from the dark alcove. "You should really ask Cody for the less conspicuous bottle next time."

"At least I don't collect the canisters and display them behind my TV like some bizarre pre-pulse alcoholic shrine." She was far too close, her nose only a few inches from but he let the snort out anyway. She wrinkled her nose at the coffee breath and fixed him with a hard stare, "What? Something amusing? You wanna defend your stupid whiskey collection?"

"Stop winding me up and be serious for a minute." He was standing his ground, not prepared to give her the satisfaction of pushing her away. "You nearly killed a man, Max. We both know you aren't _that_ out of control when you're in heat."

"You _ did_ something to me. Logan was right there, but all I could think about was that he was getting in the way of _you_." She was away in her own little world, head cocked and eyes thoughtful, her hands were snaking under his t-shirt, and he took in a sharp breath. He closed his eyes for a moment and tried to focus on not reacting, but her hands were sliding higher up his chest and then they were pushing his shirt off and _holly fuck did she just twist my nipple?_ He let his head fall back and groaned loudly, _I have died and gone into womanizer hell._

"Max please let go of me," his voice came out low and hoarse. Not at all preferable when trying to push away a drunk desperate woman.

"No."

_Don't react, don't react, don't react, why are you reacting?_ His own hands had slid around her waist and his thumb was absentmindedly caressing her hip. Brain finally waking up his stupidity, he abruptly let go and ducked out from her embrace, snatching up his shirt along the way.

"I saved Logan's life, Max. I _like_ the guy." He tugged his shirt over his head and turned back to face her, right hand rubbing the side of his head. "I'm sorry, but I can't do this," he turned back to the door.

"Alec, wait...."

He walked out the door, pausing momentarily with his head peeking around the edge. "Callum's building a shelter for you girls to go to when you need it. You won't have this problem again," he shut the door quietly behind him. He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands and dug into the pocket of his jeans. _Time to call in the cavalry._ He flipped open his phone.

"Yeah, it's done. You can go pick up the pieces now."

The man on the line sighed in relief. "Thanks Alec, you're a good friend."

"You're welcome, now don't fuck it up or I won't say no next time."

"You got it, buddy."


End file.
